【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】From 2014 to 2024, China’s first complete set of construction technology for large-scale LNG membrane tanks was approved

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Safety first. Prevention first – let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Continuous updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** In October 2024, the first large-scale LNG membrane tank construction technology developed independently by the Engineering Technology Innovation Company of Pipeline Network Group, designed for tanks with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters, was approved by the China Petroleum Engineering Construction Association. This technology has reached a leading level in China, with some methods and techniques even reaching an internationally advanced level. 　　This technology is an important outcome of the company’s research project titled “Development and Research on Complete Construction Technology for Large LNG Membrane Tanks”. It covers various aspects such as the membrane system, insulation modules, material properties, prestress systems, and concrete structures, and spans the entire project lifecycle from research and development, design, procurement, construction to commissioning and operation and maintenance. It will provide comprehensive technical support for the pilot application of LNG membrane tank technology in the projects of **Pipeline Network Group**, marking the first instance in China of research on complete construction technology for large membrane tanks. 　　Through independent research and development, the company has established a fundamental framework for the material design of LNG membrane tanks. Its R&D team, in collaboration with French company GTT, has been working continuously on key technologies related to the design, production, and evaluation of materials such as insulation panels, corrugated sheets, and secondary shielding elements used in LNG membrane tank walls and bottoms. For the corrugated configuration of the membrane panels, a research plan was developed, and the first strength tests at normal and low temperatures for land-based membrane tanks were conducted in China. Two sets of numerical models that served as a means of verification for each other were created: a finite element profiling model and a 3D scanning model. Based on extensive analysis and experiments, a range of methods was developed, including strength design for membrane panels, fatigue failure assessment, evaluation of displacement compensation capability, as well as stability design and verification. These methods revealed the tensile strength, pressure-bearing capacity, and fatigue damage characteristics of corrugated membrane panels, thereby establishing a fundamental framework for the design of such panels in LNG tanks. 　　At the same time, taking into account the actual conditions of the corrugated plate welds in the LNG membrane tanks at Beiren Tianjin Nangang, the team developed a welding procedure guide for membrane welding, laying a solid foundation for overcoming the key technical challenges associated with the entire LNG membrane manufacturing process. 　　Scientific validation: Innovative conduct of impact resistance tests on LNG membrane tanks’ outer shells. To further investigate the damage, degradation, and dynamic response issues caused by projectiles hitting large membrane tanks, the company’s research team developed a high-capacity impact testing setup. By using scaled-down model impact testing methods, they conducted experimental studies on the impact resistance of LNG membrane tanks, carrying out the first such tests of its kind in China on the outer shells of membrane tanks. 　　The experiment successfully collected data on key quantitative damage, time-history responses, and information regarding the impact effects on damage images. This is of great academic value and practical significance for guiding the design of large-scale thin-film tank structures, enhancing their resistance to projectile damage, and ensuring **energy security.